PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister (CM) Mahmood Khan has directed the authorities of communication and works department to expedite work on all ongoing mega schemes in communication sector and assured that the provincial government would provide required resources for the purpose.
He particularly stressed upon the expeditious completion of financial and commercial feasibility studies of Swat Motorway phase-II, Peshawar-D.I Khan Motorway and Dir Motorway so that the public could be facilitated through such mega-development projects as soon as possible.
Presiding over a high-level meeting of communication and works department on Monday at CM house, Mahmood Khan said that provincial government was committed to boosting industrial and tourism activities in the province for which different communication schemes had been initiated.
The meeting was attended by special assistant to CM Riaz Khan, Principal Secretary to CM Shahab Ali Shah, and other high officials.
The forum was told that Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) had approved the acquisition of land scheme for Swat Motorway phase 2 whereas public-private partnership unit had recommended the financial and commercial feasibility of the project.
It was also told that consultancy would be awarded next month for a commercial and financial study of Dir Motorway. Similarly, financial and commercial feasibility of Peshawar-D.I Khan motorway would be completed by the next month.
The meeting was apprised that, PC-II of 29 km long road from Baba Sarai ( Buner) to Katlang interchange had been prepared and would be submitted to relevant forum for approval.
The meeting was also informed that under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Tourism Development Project (KITE), work was in process on 50km long nine different access roads to tourist areas in Malakand division.
Similarly, construction of five access roads to tourist areas in Hazara division was also part of the current development portfolio whereas construction of 30 km long approach road to Sheikh Badeen Tourist site had reflected in Annual Development Plan (ADP) 2020-21.
The meeting was told that so far 33 developmental schemes in the road sector had been completed during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020. During the current fiscal year, 114 schemes were due for completion in the road sector and Rs28,522 million had been allocated for 507 schemes in the current ADP.
Briefing about the progress made so far by the Pakhtunkhwa Highways Authority, it was informed that the authority had constructed 170km long new highways and 79 bridges.
Similarly, dualization of various roads having a total length of 272km had also been done. In the current ADP, Rs1824.758 million had been allocated for 32 ongoing schemes of Pakhtunkhwa Highways Authority and Rs215 million had been allocated for six new schemes. Rs800 million has been allocated for five schemes under the Accelerated Implementation Program (AIP) of merged areas.
The forum was also briefed about the reforms introduced by the communication and works department and told that e-bidding and e-billing system had already been introduced in the department whereas work on human resource development and restructuring of C&W department was in progress.
